


A Hare-Raising Debate

by IuvenesCor



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: Dunban is the best big brother, Fluff, Gen, Siblings being adorable, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-14 22:41:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5761657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IuvenesCor/pseuds/IuvenesCor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[In which Fiora doesn't have to try all that hard to get her own way.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Hare-Raising Debate

_Fiora, age 10_

 

 

“But Dunban!”

 

Her brother’s sigh is one she’s heard too often lately. It doesn’t deter her, though, even as he quietly, cautiously, speaks her name in reply.

 

“I promise I’ll do all the work!” she begs. “I’ll even catch it myself!”

 

“And _that’s_ what worries me.”

 

Fiora clenches her fists stubbornly. “I wouldn’t go alone. Reyn already said he’ll come with me!”

 

“No pair of ten year olds should go into Tephra Cave alone, not even if one of them is Reyn. _Especially_ if one of them is Reyn.”

 

All right, so it was time to switch tactics. Voice softening, lower lip sagging, shoulders slumping… “I just want a Happy Rabbit,” she pouts gracefully.

 

“I know,” assures Dunban, “but—”

 

“And if I had one, I’d spend more time taking care of it than running around with the boys.”

 

“Tempting, very tempting.”

 

“And it would teach me to be more responsible!”

 

Dunban chuckles. “I don’t know that you have to worry about that.”

 

Fiora blinks several times over. Maybe he’ll think she’s going to cry. “Please, let me go and find one! I won’t even be a few minutes.”

 

“You think you’ll find one that quickly?” With a tired smirk, Dunban shakes his head. “I’ve spent hours there just trying to gather Kneecap Rocks, and those are stationary. What if you get lost in those caverns chasing down the little beast?”

 

“Well…there’s Defense Force members who stand around the cave, right? They’ll come find us if we’re too long.”

 

Fiora’s heart sinks at the sound of her brother’s self-satisfied _hmph_. “I’m not so sure. Those men wouldn’t let you both into the cave if they spotted you, and if the only way for you to enter is to sneak in, they wouldn’t know there was anyone to rescue.” He tilts his head down, looking like he revels in being the clever adult. (He most certainly does, Fiora’s sure of it. All boys do.) “I could be wrong, but I’m guessing your plan would be to go up to Tephra Cave tonight with Reyn and Shulk. You’d convince Shulk to distract the soldiers while you two sneak in and find yourselves a Happy Rabbit. There now, judging by the guilt on your face, I’d say I’m not too far off.”

 

Rather defeated in this argument (but not in spirit— she’s still going to the cave, but now that her brother’s privy to the plan, it can’t be tonight), Fiora sits down on her bed, swinging her legs despondently. “I wouldn’t do it myself. But… well, I’d ask you but I know you’re busy with training in the Force and working and keeping the house and it wouldn’t be right to ask you to do another thing for me.”

 

She’s sorry for the expression Dunban’s now wearing. He seems… conflicted. She should have expected that. Shame on her, for being so selfish. But she’s much too embarrassed to say that to his face.

 

But then, he laughs. Not that condescending chuckle he’s been using to scold her with, but something different. It’s a good laugh, though. Or…well, she’s sure it is.

 

“Rascal,” says Dunban. “Nobody can do anything without you intervening, can they?”

 

Fiora crinkles her eyebrows close together. What does he mean, she wonders, and asks as much out loud.

 

“Don’t think I haven’t heard you telling the boys all week about how jealous you are of Emmy Leater’s Happy Rabbit.” He grins. “And I also don’t want you to think that I’ve forgotten you have a birthday in nine days.”

 

_My…birthday?_

 

Fiora’s hope swells. “You don’t mean…?”

 

“I have errands today that lead me to the cave. I thought it would be the perfect time.”

 

“Really?” Fiora squeals, leaping off the bed and charging with arms wide open straight into Dunban. “Dunban, you’re the best!”

 

“Ha, don’t thank me yet. Those creatures are hard to catch.”

 

“I know you’ll pull it off.” Looking up, she meets his eyes. “Dunban…pretty please, can I come with you?”

 

The young man purses his lips. “Now, Fiora—”

 

“I’ll be very careful! You know I will be! Pleaaaase?”

 

She knows her sisterly charms are effective when he laughs. “You realize you’re being very greedy, don’t you?” She does not honor that claim; she merely smiles very sweetly. The way his irises flick to the side, it is obvious that Dunban is trying his hardest not to roll his eyes. “Do you promise,” he says, “that you’ll stay by my side all the while, no excuses?”

 

“I promise.”

 

“And do you promise not to touch anything if you don’t know for certain what it is?”

 

“Yes, brother!”

 

“Yes…?”

 

“Yes, I _promise_.”

 

“And you definitely promise to be wholly in charge of feeding and caring for this beast? Because I am certainly not having anything to do with it.”

 

Fiora nods earnestly.

 

“All right. You can come. But we are going no farther than the Warehouse, so don’t think we’ll be exploring.” Dunban pauses. “Invite Shulk if he wants to come. I know he has something of an interest in the Stoneflies there.”

 

This was turning out much better than she had expected. “What about Reyn?”

 

Well, it was worth a shot; but her brother’s face told the answer enough.

 

“Shulk is better at listening. We’ll keep this outing between the three of us, understand?”

 

“Understood,” giggles Fiora. “Dunban?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Thank you.” She hugs him tightly. “You’re amazing.”

 

“For you, I must be. You’re a very demanding girl, Fiora.”

 

The girl gasps. “Am not!”

 

His eyes glitter. “You must be a real handful for Shulk.”

 

“Dunban!” she squeaks, turning pink. “Am! Not!”

 

She makes a sour face at his vibrant laughter.

 

“Go,” he says, grinning, “find Shulk. I’ll gather the things we’ll need.”

 

Fiora huffs a sigh and, with some veiled urgency, releases her brother from her embrace. It isn’t long before she’s down the stairs and out the door… and kicking up dust through the street, thinking only of how lucky she is to have someone like Dunban.

 

(Oh, and of what to name her new Happy Rabbit.)

**Author's Note:**

> Even after her promise to Dunban to keep total care of her pet, Fiora manages to spend more time with the boys than with the rabbit, leaving Dunban to care for it almost exclusively throughout its captive life. Granted, he never wanted a pet in the first place; but he would at least have tolerated the creature if only it had done more than nip at him/run and hide/make an absolute mess of the house every day. 
> 
> And THIS is why Dunban reacts so poorly if you gift him a Happy Rabbit in-game. 
> 
> Or, so says my headcanon, anyway. :)


End file.
